Fotini Apostolou

TRAINING FOR
COMMUNITY
INTERPRETERS IN GREECE
Background information
Migrant Inflows
Recent changes

Comparative table of migrants arrested by police & port authorities for

illegal entry & residence Jan-Nov 2014 – Jan-Nov 2015
Arrest Authorities Jan-Nov 2014 Jan-Nov 2015 % Change
Regional Police Authority of Northern Aegean
1 Island of Lesbos 11,349 445,037 3821.38%
2 Island of Samos 7,373 95,324 1192,88%
3 Island of Chios 6,259 98,965 1481,16%
Total 24,981 639,326 2459,25%
Languages
Questions of etymology

No Community or Public Service

Interpreters/Translators in Greece.
Only court interpreters and
inter/cultural inter/mediators.
Interpreting for the Asylum Service
 Interpreting provided by NGO (METAdrasi)
 10-day training of unknown quality
 After training, candidates tested and certified by
NGO
 Interpreters forced to sign exclusive contract
 Names of interpreters kept in secret list
 Interpreters sign with a code number given to
them by the NGO
 Unknown remuneration
 Unknown working conditions
Interpreting for healthcare
 (Inter)cultural (Inter)mediators
 Fragmented (only when there is funding)
 Training by private vocational training
centres (3-10 days)
 Unknown remuneration
 Unknown working conditions
From Theory to Practice?
The training of interpreters is triggered by a
pragmatic need: to ensure that
communication between healthcare providers
and patients is plausible. Since the need is
urgent, no research precedes curricular
implementation and no theory guides the
practice. Consequently, many of the curricular
decisions are made on the basis of trial and
error.
Angelelli, C. 2008. “The role of the interpreter
in the healthcare setting: A plea for a dialogue
between research and practice” 154
Training Projects
Projects funded by the European Fund for
the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
Year Project Funds

2007 Training of Intercultural Mediators 11,000

2008 Training of Intercultural Mediators 70,000

2009 Intercultural Mediation in Hospitals 468,000

2010 Intercultural Mediation in Hospitals 400,000

2010 Intercultural Mediation in housing services & other social services 100,000

2011 Intercultural Mediators Registrar 110,000

2012 Intercultural Mediation in Hospitals 400,000

2012-13 Training of Cultural Mediators Utilizing new social networking software 381,500

2013 Interpreting and intercultural mediation in one-stop services for issuing 230,000
residence permits in the Decentralized Administration settings in Greece
2013 Intercultural Mediation in Social Services & Rehabilitation Centres 333,500

2014 Intercultural Mediation in Hospitals 400,000

Total 2,904,000
Projects: TrainingPractice
 Training projects roughly started in 2007 with the
establishment of the European Fund for the
Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
 They are intended only for “intercultural mediators”.
 They precede the implementation of “intercultural
mediation” in public authorities.
 Projects were undertaken (with one exception only)
by private training centres and non-governmental
organisations; apart from training, these bodies also
provided the state with trained “intercultural
mediators”.
Training Providers
Training Providers
 Not universities
 Private Vocational Training Centers
 Non-Governmental Organisations
Why not universities?
 One School of Foreign Languages, Translation &
Interpreting (Ionian University, Corfu)
No permanent staff to teach interpreting or TIPS
No postgraduate course on interpreting or TIPS
 Dept. of Translation & Intercultural Studies, School of
English, Aristotle University
One scholar
Postgraduate course on Conference Interpreting
 Dept. of Applied Foreign Languages in Management
& Commerce, Epirus Institute of Technology
Research project on court interpreting
No courses on TIPS
Recent developments
 Department of Turkish Studies &
Modern Asian Studies (Athens)
announced a new postgraduate
programme of studies on Interpreting
with the following specialisations:
a. Interpreting for EU institutions
b. Liaison interpreting
c. Community Interpreting (the title in
English)
Curricula
Early initiatives: Manual for intercultural
mediators (2003)

“Self-training manual for the intercultural

mediator”. Project: Towards Better
Support System Form Integration of
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and
Migrants in Rural Areas (ASSET)

http://www.intermediation.gr/myfiles/reposit
ory/education/manual.diamesolaviti.pdf
Curricula: 2007-08
Ministry of the Interior “Training Programmes for
Intercultural Mediators” ran by two private Vocational
Training Centres in 2007 and 2008 (100 and 80 hours).
Trained 300 Greeks and legal immigrants.
 Characteristic phenomena of intercultural societies –
principles of interculturalism
 The image of the “alien” in Greece and information on
target-groups
 Institutional and legal issues – Services provided by public
and private bodies, communication with public services and
use of services
 Psychosocial needs of immigrants and support methods
 Communication and negotiation techniques
 The concept of the cultural and the
intercultural. The contemporary social-
national perspective and multicultural
dynamics.
 Interculturalism and social negotiation.
Management models.
 Theory and practice of negotiative
intervention in Intercultural Consultation.
 Greek legislative and institutional
framework.
 Communication principles.
 Development of personal skills.
2007: Greek Council for Refugees
Project for the Training of Cultural Intermediators (100 hours); 16 trainees.
Units:
 Greek legal and institutional framework
 Interpreting modes and techniques
 Development of personal skills. The basic skills development techniques
were analysed (increase of creativity, constructing ideas/thought
processes, using kinesiology skills), interpersonal negotiation techniques
(preparation, aggressive strategies, defensive strategies, concluding the
negotiation), stress managements techniques (types of stress,
symptoms, stress management strategies), time management
techniques (dealing with procrastination, goals and planning ahead) and
techniques for group encouragement).
 Intercultural Consultation. Discussion of the role and profile of the
cultural intermediator, as well as the mode and objective of the
consultative intervention.  
2008: DEMETRA Private Vocational
Centre
12 Projects for Intercultural Mediators Training. The project
were organised in Thessaloniki, Larisa and Patras and
were addressed to employed and unemployed Greeks and
immigrants aged 22 to 50 years old. The projects aimed at
training Intercultural Mediators on issues of consultation
practice, career guidance, and interpretation techniques,
so that the trainees could form a communication bridge
between third country nationals and the host community.
 Introduction to cultural specificities in health issues
 Interpreting modes and techniques
 Consultation and Career Guidance
Curricula: “Citizens’ Academy”
400-hour training in “Multicultural Mediation”; Cost
€550
 1st Thematic Module: Fundamental principles of the concept of
interculturalism
 Multiculturalism and contemporary Greek reality. Typical phenomena and
dimensions of multicultural societies. Basic principles of interculturalism.
 Institutional and Legal Issues: Psychosocial needs of foreign nationals and
support methods; Communication and negotiation techniques; Models for
improving intercultural communication (cultural awareness, cultural
competence); Techniques for the individual and collective development of lifting
stereotypical behaviours; Psychological and social dimensions of legality and
collective justice; Shaping the self-image and alertness on the objective
representation of reality
 2nd Thematic Module: Presentation of international and national
mechanisms for the protection of fundamental human rights
 Concept, content, dimensions and analysis of human rights. From philosophy
to social reality
 Historic development and contemporary dynamics for human rights.
 Recommendations of international and European organisations for human
rights.
Curricula: METAdrasi
The Interpreters’ Training Seminar consists of a ten day
training, taking place at the Organization’s premises, followed
by written and oral exams, with the aim being the
achievement of METAction’s certificate of proficiency for
the provision of interpretation services and the subsequent
integration at the Organizations’ Registry of Interpreters.
 
The interpreter’s certificate of proficiency is valid for one year.
After its expiration, the interpreter is re-assessed as regards
the level of services provided in relation to the training he/she
has received and the level of improvement as concerns
recorded weaknesses.
METAction: Training material
 Interpreters’ Manual (Greek)
Forms of Interpreting
Note taking
Interpreting performance
Position of the interpreter
Code of ethics
Before, during, and after interpretation
 Guide to Intercultural Mediation (Greek)
Definitions, basic characteristics and applications
The work of the intercultural mediator
Communication
Special uses of intercultural mediation
Guide to Intercultural Mediation
Mediation is a process in which a neutral third
party helps in settling a dispute between two
or more parties. It is an extrajudicial process,
during which the Mediator facilitates
communication between the two parties, helps
them focus on the problem and makes
suggestions based on the needs and interests of
all parties involved, aiming at settling the dispute,
without having the authority to enforce solutions
to those involved. It is different from simple
negotiation, where the two parties negotiate a
solution between themselves, and arbitration,
where the arbitrator issues a decision, that is
he makes a decision on the outcome. (pp. 3-4)
 1. The Intercultural Mediator is called upon to intervene. He tries to get as much
information as possible about the nature of the problem and decides if he can take
the case. If he calls the parties, reassures them and gives specific instructions
about what is to be done until the meeting (golden rule: “freeze the situation”). […]
 2. Whether on the phone or in person, the Intercultural Mediator introduces himself
and explains his role. […]
 3. In the first meeting the Intercultural Mediator introduces himself again, explains
his role, his limitations, the normal procedure that is to follow, and the rules that
govern the parties’ behaviour. […]
 4. […] The Intercultural Mediator functions like a traffic warden, who ensures that
each party will have the time and the calm to speak without interruptions and
verbal assaults. […]
 5. The Intercultural Mediator listens carefully to each party’s views and clarifies
anything he does not understand […].
 6. The Intercultural Mediator constructs a scenario of the situation in his mind with
possible solutions.
Curricula: “METAdrasi”
Training for “the interpreters of METAdrasi” on
intercultural mediation
 2-day seminar on medical terminology for
the already specialized
interpreters/intercultural mediators of
Metadrasi
 7-day seminar so that interpreters
specialize on issues of intercultural
mediation and providing services in the
healthcare sector
Actions of METAdrasi
METAdrasi provides interpreting services to the Asylum Service
and the First Reception Service. There was a court case recently,
when one of its interpreters filed an appeal against the NGO
because she had been fired.
“We condemn the practices of METAdrasi and other NGOs which,
while promoting a humanitarian profile of respect for human rights,
violate the labour rights of their employees. […] Their hypocrisy
and self-righteousness offends us. The interpreters of METAdrasi
are working under extreme and arduous conditions, in police
stations, immigrant detention centres and first reception centres,
offering services to the most vulnerable social groups, refugees,
detained immigrants, torture victims and victims of human
trafficking. Interpreters perform their important and sensitive social
work, working under conditions of job insecurity and intimidation,
while they are treated by the management as expendable entities;
moreover, they are removed when they react to its practices or are
not absolutely tolerant towards them” (Announcement of the Union
of NGO Employees, October 2013)
Other initiatives
SONETOR

Partners: Hellenic Open University (Greece), University of Limerick (Ireland), Pontifical

University of John Paul II (Poland), MARQUE 21 SL (Spain), BEST Institut für berufsbezogene
Weiterbildung und Personaltra (Austria).
Intercultural Mediators Platform

www.intermediation.gr
TIME Conference
Some observations
 Research together with training
 Evaluation of training programmes by
state bodies
 Certification of community interpreters
 Courses offered by universities